As a whole I am incredibly pleased with my book. This was the first time had openly talked about that dark period of my life and I must admit there’s still parts I’ve kept to myself. The book explores the emotional side of depression and makes references to lack of identity, isolation, self harm and feeling trapped.
Lack of Identity
Self Harm
Trapped
All of my images are in black and white. This gives the book a dark aesthetic and compliments the overall theme of the images. There is also a harsh contrast between the two colours which often makes me look incredibly pale and unwell. This was intentional. When suffering from depression it can hard to find the motivation to even look after yourself properly. This includes showering and healthy eating which will contribute to depriving the body of what it needs to maintain what is known as ‘a healthy glow.’
Thirdly, I believe that my images clearly show that I was inspired by Francesca Woodman. Woodman’s images explored identity and are often linked with her suicide. One thing that makes her images so recognisable is her use of long exposure. This is something I also explored. Movement during a long exposure shot becomes blurred and can make the subject appear like a ghost. I did this in order to blur my features and empathise a feeling of invisibility.
Francesca Woodman
My response to Francesca Woodman
Finally, I chose to leave my book untitled. I started this project wanting to give people a better understanding of mental illness, but I was very aware that this is subjective as everyone experiences it slightly differently. However, the basic emotions felt are often the same. This is why I left the book without any text. I didn’t want to hinder the ability to relate to the images but changing their meaning with my own words.
Negatives/ How to improve:
My main criticism is on the length of the book. I feel as if it is too short. The book reads really quickly and I fear that it is too easy to flick through it and not take in the images properly. This is mostly my fault. Overall, I did not have enough images that showed enough variation from each other for them to be placed in the book without becoming repetitive. If I were to redo the project I would combat this by ensuring that I did as many shoots as possible.
Secondly, I would want to explore Mary Ellen Mark in more depth. I was intrigued by her work on Ward 81, but I never took the time to go over her other works. She hadn’t done any other projects that heavily related to mental illness so I didn’t think it was necessary to look at what else she’d done. I regret this as I found it hard to directly respond her and as a result there are only a few images inspired by Mark’s work in my book.
Mary Ellen Mark was an american photojournalist. In 1975, Mark took photos on the set of ‘One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest,’ where she met the women of Ward 81 for the first time. Along with friend and journalist, Karen Folger Jacobs, Mark spend 36 day on Ward 81 in Oregon State Hospital. In total 4,800 images were taken on 200 rolls of film.
Analysis:
Context/Concept:
Some mental hospitals in the 1970s were still using electric shock therapy as form of treatment for mental illness. This aimed to relieve depressive symptoms for a short period of time. Folger Jacobs wrote about how a patient was given shock treatment after refusing to take her medication and succeeded in harming herself.
Visual:
This image shows the required equipment for electric shock therapy on top of a table. The equipment is illuminated by light from a window on the right. The window is partially covered by wire arranged in diagonals.
The electric shock equipment demonstrates a treatment method commonly used on the ward. Folger Jacobs’ accompanying article suggests that treatment was given to patients regularly, however it was additionally administered if patients had a depressive episode. Other patients were not permitted and contact with fellow patients undergoing the treatment.
The wire covering the window on the right side of the images is likely to be a safety requirement to present patients from escaping the ward or attempting to harm themselves.
The cover image was the first thing a chose for my book. This image had been a favourite of mine since I’d taken it. The image wraps around the book perfectly and shows a nice symmetry on the front and back covers. I also think it gives a nice first impression on what the book is about. The striking black in the image indicates that the book has a darker tone to it and blur of my face suggests the invisibility felt by the book’s subject. The book is definitely about a low period in someone’s life.
First Layout:
The First layout I had was close to the final thing. However there was one image that I wasn’t happy with. The image that shows a close up of my face and my hands covering most of it leaving only my eyes visible through my fingers was a very strong image and I wanted it to be a double page spread to really show it off. The problem was that it didn’t fit in within my image pattern. So combat this I decided that the image should go in the middle of my book as I already had other double page spreads at either ends of my book. This first layout failed to successfully do this without throwing off parts of my book that I was already happy with.
Second Layout:
There is one major change between the first layout to the second. This is the removal of one of the images.
The above image was removed as I already had a similar image in the book. This image was weaker and I felt that it didn’t add as much to the book.
Compare Francesca Woodman and Mary Ellen Mark’s
representation/documentation of mental illness.
Introduction: 346
For me, photography is a way to express perhaps more
negative emotions in a non-judgmental medium. Perhaps people interpret the
meaning in the wrong way, but the act of capturing the image gives a sense of
control over the emotion behind it. That’s part of the reason that I wanted to
explore mental illness via photography. After struggling with depression and
anxiety in the past and at the time not really having a way to express how I
was feeling, I wanted to explore and remember past emotions to educate others
on mental illness, while additionally finding a new way for me to cope in the
future. I am particularly fascinated by the work of Francesca Woodman. The
young photographer was herself suffering from depression and her images are
often seen to reflect this as a result of her suicide. The images are surreal
at times and often have a dream-like quality to them. While now related to her
suicide, Woodman’s images were an exploration of her own identity and gender,
often showing a lack of the former by obscuring the subject’s face.
Individuality is important when it comes to mental illness; no one experiences
it in quite the same way. Woodman expresses her illness in a way that is very
personal to her and it’s interesting to gather an understanding of someone
else’s experiences. However, I also wanted to see how people, who have never
experienced severe mental illness, view mental illness. In contrast, Mary Ellen
Mark spent 36 days inside Oregon State Hospital on Ward 81 and created a
documentary book of work that captured the essence of such an institution and
its patients. Mark was tasked with photographing the ward’s occupants along
with journalist, Karen Jacobs who wrote a piece on their experience. Mark was
primarily a photo journalist, however her Ward 81 project was a follow up to
meeting the patients while photographing for 1975’s ‘One Flew Over the
Cuckoo’s Nest.’ In contrast to Woodman’s images, Mark gives a more
realistic view of mental illness by photographing what she observed of others.
Historical Context: 383
Documentary photography was a way to capture event often
related to history. These can be personal in the form of family albums or more
large scale. Larger scale documentations often appear in news outlets as an aid
for written information. However, it can be used to tell a solely visual story.
For example, Mary Ellen Mark’s documentation of Ward 81. While this doesn’t show
an obvious narrative with a clear beginning, middle and end, it does well at
showing the main aspects of life on the ward. A criticism of some documentary
photography, including ‘Ward 81’ would
be whether the images are socially sensitive. This means that the images may
cause unjust discrimination or social unrest. An example of this would be
propaganda. Propaganda is designed to sway opinions in a certain direction, perhaps
leaving people to believe something which is untrue or exaggeration in order to
prompt an unjust response. However, Mark’s work may cause an unintentional negative
response. During the 1970’s in America, misdiagnosis caused by the outdated
DSM-II and sexist doctors resulted in the institutionalisation of many, especially
women. Mark’s work may have been socially sensitive at this time due to the
representation of only female patients. This may have reinforced the stereotype
that women were often more prone to mental illness as a result of their apparent
increased emotional responses. As result this may have increased discrimination
against women who were more emotional and may have even caused them to become institutionalised.
A second important ethical consideration for documentary photography is integrity.
In modern society it is very easy to manipulate images with the use of editing software
such as Photoshop. However, is it ethical to deceive audiences when presenting
documentary style images? An article for photographylife
states that, ‘…it is only ethical when such imagery is provided without ANY
manipulation whatsoever.’ I have to agree with this. Since documentary image
are often used as part of news features they can help shape people’s opinions
and influence their actions. This comes back to social sensitivity. In
addition, the constant manipulation of image without the knowledge of the desired
audience may damage the reputation of the photographer or the co-operation they
work for. The audience may lose trust in them or in series cases the individual
responsible can be prosecuted.
Francesca Woodman: 605
Francesca Woodman, Untitled, Rome, 1977
Famous for her self portraits, Francesca Woodman preferred
to work alone, but there’s more to her images than a representation of herself.
At only age 22, Woodman threw herself out of a window in New York. This leaves
her images forever tainted, in the sense it’s difficult to view them without
wondering whether they’re a prediction of Woodman’s fate. In 1977, Woodman
worked on ‘On Being An Angel’ while staying in Rome. The title in itself
suggests a surreal approach to self portrait as the word ‘angel’ suggests the
presence of a higher celestial being. While it is possible that the title could
indicate that Woodman believes herself to be this celestial being, it is more
likely that this refers to the faith, love, hope, strength and intelligence
that angels often symbolize. However, this is a clear juxtaposition to certain
extent. The images are in the black and white, mirroring the aesthetic of
Woodman’s other works while also showing a darker undertone that suggests that
Woodman sees herself as more of a misunderstood angel. It was not secret that
Woodman was struggling with the lack of success and recognition her images were
receiving. It had been clear to those close to her that her images were some of
the best, so why didn’t others see that? One such image from ‘On Being An
Angel,’ shows Woodman in a derelict building, her preferred location to shoot
in, with two white sheets behind her as she leaps up in front of them as if
flying. It is obvious that the sheet represents her angel wings and the image
as whole suggests that Woodman wishes to take flight, to escape perhaps.
Another striking feature present in this series is Woodman’s often completely
bare chest. She has her breast thrust out, however, this is not by any means
sexual. She had previously explored her body in several of her other works and
had grown comfortable with it. Woodman wanted to show a certain rawness and
maybe even innocence to the images one would find when thinking about angels.
As for the idea of flying, Woodman has also previously referenced the theme of
weightlessness in some of her other works taken in Rome. It seems perhaps that
Woodman was toying with the idea of angels taking flight while also thinking
about how she might like to do the same. The reasoning behind this, some would
suggest, comes down to her death. In 1981, Woodman threw herself out of a
window in New York. The similarity between her chosen method to end her life
and the images of flying is astounding. An article in The Telegraph suggests
that Woodman’s images are ‘…coloured by her suicide.’ However, I find myself
disagreeing with this to an extent. Is it really plausible that Woodman had
been predicting her end since age thirteen? Of course not. She was simply just
a girl that was doing what she loved while exploring and learning more about
herself and where she fitted in the world. On the other hand, I think that some
of her work during the last few years of her life may have had some kind of
warning to it. Some of the images Woodman took in Rhode Island between 1975 and
1978 are captioned with almost foreboding messages. For example, one image is
captioned, ‘I stopped playing the piano.’ Assuming Woodman stopping playing
through lack of interest could suggest the beginning of her depression as the
early signs of such mental illness often includes a sudden lack of interest or
enjoyment of activities that may have even been a person’s favourite thing to
do.
Francesca Woodman, I Stopped Playing the Piano, Rhode Island, 1975
Mary Ellen Mark: 378
Mary Ellen Mark, 300B-011-005, Oregan State Hospital, 1976
In 1975, while photographing on the set of ‘One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest’, Mary Ellen Mark was given the opportunity to talk with the patients of Oregon State Hospital’s Ward 81. She returned a year later with writer, Karen Folger Jacobs. The pair spent 36 days on the ward. While known for her documentary style projects that have a clear narrative, Mark took a slightly different approach to how she presented her images from the ward. In an interview with American Photographer about her time on Ward 81, Mark said, “Instead of the 1-2-3-4 of a picture story, I was interested in doing pictures that would stand alone.” This is to perhaps represent the isolation of each patient, while also giving them a sense of individuality that they may not get on the ward. Ward 81 consists of a series of images that give an insight into the side of mental illness that people had never seen before in the 1970s. Jacobs wrote ‘At first glance, they could be almost any group of women in any institutional lounge or day room,’ (Folger Jacobs 1979:) and for the most part that was probably true. The lock ’em mentality of 70’s America was the main reason many of the women of Ward 81 were where they were and once they were institutionalized it was hard to introduce them back into society without seeing them return to the ward not long after. This is perhaps one of the reasons why Mark wanted to spend so much time with the patients while photographing them. She had always thought it vital to build a relationship with the people in her images so she could understand them. The image titled ‘300B-011-005’, perfectly captures the idea behind the project. It shows a girl sat on her bed. At first glance she could be considered a normal teenage girl with clothes that show more skin than her parents would like and posters and pictures above her bed that show the things she likes. That’s what you’re supposed to see first. However, you soon notice the cuts on her arms and the phrase ‘I wish to die,’ written on the wall. While on the ward, Mark recorded in total 4,800 images on 200 rolls of film.
My response: 329
I was heavily inspired by Woodman’s images, more so than by
Mark’s work. I liked how Woodman made her images very personal by photographing
herself and wanted to demonstrate the same thing for my images. Her surrealist
take on mental illness was especially interesting for me because I thought it
would be a good way to communicate the thoughts and emotions I felt when I was
suffering. I was fascinated by
Woodman’s portrayal of angels and the idea of weightlessness. I had always
struggled with finding some sort of freedom from my feelings and could recall
instances when, usually with my friends, I didn’t even think about how sad I had
been or how I might that way again, it was as if nothing else mattered except
that small moment of enjoyment and weightlessness. With this image I thought I showed
this idea pretty well. While responding to Woodman, I decided that I would
mimic some of her techniques including her use of long exposure. I used a
shutter speed of two seconds and made small movements to create a blurred look.
For this image I explored weightlessness by creating what could be considered wings
by wearing a skirt around my shoulders and moving my arms gently up and down underneath
it. Again, similarly to Woodman, I wanted to create a ghostly look to the
image. To do this I not only implemented the blur created by the long exposure but
also exposed the image further and increased the blacks to make the image
appear more striking. My choice to blur the image had multiple purposes. The
main purpose was to mimic Woodman’s exploration of lack of identity. I thought that
this would work well with my images as it represents the invisibility often felt
by people suffering from depression as well as the isolation I had felt. I
think that I have responded well to Woodman’s ideas and it’s clear that I have
taken inspiration from her work.
Conclusion: 183
To conclude, both Francesca Woodman and Mary Ellen Mark show
a deep understanding of mental illness as demonstrated by their image. Woodman,
while originally exploring identity has come to draw people to her work with
her tragic story, but has continued to keep people interested whether that be
by instigating theories on how her images relate to her death, her clear
exploration of gender, identity and feminism or simply the darker, gothic
surrealism displayed in every image. She demonstrates, for me, the thoughts and
feeling behind depression and clearly used her creativity to give herself a
release while giving the impression that she knew what was happening to her was
not her fault. In comparison, Mark gives a meaningful insight into the women of
Ward 81 by allowing herself to really get to know them and understand them on a
personal level without tainting her opinion with their mental illness. Her book
tells the story of those 36 days by showing all aspects of daily life without
censorship and maintaining her integrity. This results in Mark presenting the
women as just that, women.
While Francesca Woodman’s career may have been short lived, her work has become increasingly more popular since her death. At age 22, Woodman committed suicide. This has cast a darker shadow over her photographs and its difficult to view her work without relating it back to her mental illness.
Woodman’s images are mostly self-portraits. George Woodman, her father, told The Guardian, “She was concentrating on the picture. That was why she didn’t want people around. She didn’t want any distractions.” Woodman produced over 800 images, focusing on a surrealist approach and using long exposure to create a burred image that merges the subject with its background.
Image analysis:
Context/Concept:
Like most of Woodman’s images, this one plays on the idea of identity and a freedom from gravity. However, taken the year previous to her first suicide attempt, this image may also look at Woodman’s possible consideration of hanging as a means of taking one’s own life.
Visual:
This image shows Woodman dangling from a door frame. She wears only a shirt. In front of her is a chair. Woodman herself could be considered almost Christ-like as her pose is close to that forced upon Jesus during his crucifixion. Similar to her other works, the levitation suggests a further exploration of Woodman’s need for weightlessness. This need may have stemmed from Woodman’s metal illness and desire to escape her negative feelings.
The placement of the chair in the image suggests a further darker tone. A common form of suicide is by handing. When one hangs themselves they often kick a chair from under themselves. While the chair is this image has clearly not been kicked over, it does suggest that Woodman may have been considering the idea.
However, since this image was taken in 1978, two years before Woodman’s first and unsuccessful suicide attempt, it is unlikely that the image relates to suicide at all.
For me, photography is a way to express perhaps more negative emotions in a non-judgmental medium. Perhaps people interpret the meaning in the wrong way, but the act of capturing the image gives a sense of control over the emotion behind it. That’s part of the reason that I wanted to explore mental illness via photography. After struggling with depression and anxiety in the past and at the time not really having a way to express how I was feeling, I wanted to explore and remember past emotions to educate others on mental illness, while additionally finding a new way for me to cope in the future. I am particularly fascinated by the work of Francesca Woodman. The young photographer was herself suffering from depression and her images are often seen to reflect this as a result of her suicide. The images are very surreal and feel almost dream-like. While now related to her suicide, Woodman’s images were an exploration of her own identity and gender, often showing a lack of the former by obscuring the subject’s face. Individuality is important when it comes to mental illness; no one experiences it in quite the same way. Woodman expresses her illness in a way that is very personal to her and it’s interesting to gather an understanding of someone else’s experiences. However, I also wanted to see how people, who have never experienced severe mental illness, view mental illness. Mary Ellen Mark spent 36 days inside Oregon State Hospital on Ward 81. Mark was tasked with photographing the ward’s occupants along with journalist, Karen Jacobs who wrote a piece on their experience. Mark was primarily a photo journalist, however her Ward 81 project was a follow up to meeting the patients while photographing for 1975’s ‘One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest.’ In contrast to Woodman’s images, Mark gives a more realistic view of mental illness by photographing what she observed.
Historical context (Surrealism/Documentary): 56
In 1924, poet Andre Breton introduced a surrealist approach to art. Breton sourced his ideas from Freudian explanations of the unconscious, giving the movement a dream-like feel to it. Breton believed that artists should take an unfiltered approach to their work, taking down everything from their unconscious thoughts. He published his ideas his ‘Manifesto of Surrealism,’
Francesca Woodman: 606
Famous for her self portraits, Francesca Woodman preferred to work alone, but there’s more to her images than a representation of herself. At only age 22, Woodman threw herself out of a window in New York. This leaves her images forever tainted, in the sense it’s difficult to view them without wondering whether they’re a prediction of Woodman’s fate. In 1977, Woodman worked on ‘On Being An Angel’ while staying in Rome. The title in itself suggests a surreal approach to self portrait as the word ‘angel’ suggests the presence of a higher celestial being. While it is possible that the title could indicate that Woodman believes herself to be this celestial being, it is more likely that this refers to the faith, love, hope, strength and intelligence that angels often symbolize. However, this is a clear juxtaposition to certain extent. The images are in the black and white, mirroring the aesthetic of Woodman’s other works while also showing a darker undertone that suggests that Woodman sees herself as more of a misunderstood angel. It was not secret that Woodman was struggling with the lack of success and recognition her images were receiving. It had been clear to those close to her that her images were some of the best, so why didn’t others see that? One such image from ‘On Being An Angel,’ shows Woodman in a derelict building, her preferred location to shoot in, with two white sheets behind her as she leaps up in front of them as if flying. It is obvious that the sheet represents her angel wings and the image as whole suggests that Woodman wishes to take flight, to escape perhaps. Another striking feature present in this series is Woodman’s often completely bare chest. She has her breasts thrust out, however, this is not by any means sexual. She had previously explored her body in several of her other works and had grown comfortable with it. Woodman wanted to show a certain rawness and maybe even innocence that one would find when thinking about angels. As for the idea of flying, Woodman has also previously referenced the theme of weightlessness in some of her other works taken in Rome. It seems perhaps that woodman was toying with the typical idea of angels taking flight while also thinking about how she might like to do the same. The reasoning behind this, some would suggest, comes down to her death. In 1981, Woodman threw herself out of a window in New York. The similarity between her chosen method to end her life and the images of flying is astounding. An article in The Telegraph suggests that Woodman’s images are ‘…coloured by her suicide.’ However, I find myself disagreeing with this to an extent. Is it really plausible that Woodman had been predicting her end since age thirteen? Of course not. She was simply just a girl that was doing what she loved while exploring and learning more about herself and where she fitted in the world. On the other hand, I think that some of her work during the last few years of her life may have had some kind of warning to it. Some of the images Woodman took in Rhode Island between 1975 and 1978 are captioned with almost foreboding messages. For example, one image is captioned, ‘I stopped playing the piano.’ Assuming Woodman stopping playing through lack of interest could suggest the beginning of her depression as the early signs of such mental illness often includes a sudden lack of interest or enjoyment of activities that may have even been a person’s favourite thing to do.
Mary Ellen Mark: 360
In 1975 while photographing on the set of ‘One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest’, Mary Ellen Mark was given the opportunity to talk with the patients of Oregon State Hospital’s Ward 81. She returned a year later with writer, Karen Folger Jacobs. The pair spent 36 days on the ward. While know for her documentary style projects that have a clear narrative, Mark took a slightly different approach to how she presented her images from the ward. In an interview with American Photographer about her time on Ward 81, Mark said, ‘Instead of the 1-2-3-4 of a picture story, I was interested in doing pictures that would stand alone.’ This is to perhaps represent the isolation of each patient, while also giving them a sense of individuality that they may not get on the ward. Ward 81 consists of a series of images that give an insight into the side of mental illness that people had never seen before in the 1970s. Jacobs wrote ‘At first glance, they could be almost any group of women in any institutional lounge or day room,’ (Folger Jacobs 1979) and for the most part that was probably true. The lock ’em mentality of 70’s America was the main reason many of the women of Ward 81 were where they were and once they were institutionalised it was hard to introduce them back into society without seeing them return to the ward not long after. This is perhaps one of the reasons why Mark wanted to spend so much time with the patients while photographing them. She had always thought it vital to build a relationship with the people in her images so she could understand them. The image titled ‘300B-011-005’, perfectly captures the idea behind the project. It shows a girl sat on her bed. At first glance she could be considered a normal teenage girl with clothes that show more skin than her parents would like and posters and pictures above her bed that show the things she likes. That’s what you’re supposed to see first. However, you soon notice the cuts on her arms and the phrase ‘I wish to die,’ written on the wall.
Conclusion: 179
To conclude, both Francesca Woodman and Mary Ellen Mark show a deep understanding of mental illness as demonstrated by their image. Woodman, while originally exploring identity has come to draw people to her work with her tragic story, but has continued to keep people interested whether that be by instigating theories on how her images relate to her death, her clear exploration of gender, identity and feminism or simply the darker, gothic surrealism displayed in every image. She demonstrates, for me, the thoughts and feeling behind depression and clearly used her creativity to give herself a release while giving the impression that she knew what was happening to her was not her fault. In comparison, Mark gives a meaningful insight into the women of Ward 81 by allowing herself to really get to know them and understand them on a personal level without tainting her opinion with their mental illness. Her book tells the story of those 36 days by showing all aspects of daily life without censorship. This results in Mark presenting the women as just that, women.
Famous for her self portraits, Francesca Woodman preferred to work alone, but there’s more to her images than a representation of herself. At only age 22, Woodman threw herself out of a window in New York. This leaves her images forever tainted, in the sense it’s difficult to view them without wondering whether they’re a prediction of Woodman’s fate. In 1977, Woodman worked on ‘On Being An Angel’ while staying in Rome. The title in itself suggests a surreal approach to self portrait as the word ‘angel’ suggests the presence of a higher celestial being. While it is possible that the title could indicate that Woodman believes herself to be this celestial being, it is more likely that this refers to the faith, love, hope, strength and intelligence that angels often symbolize. However, this is a clear juxtaposition to certain extent. The images are in the black and white, mirroring the aesthetic of Woodman’s other works while also showing a darker undertone that suggests that Woodman sees herself as more of a misunderstood angel. It was not secret that Woodman was struggling with the lack of success and recognition her images were receiving. It had been clear to those close to her that her images were some of the best, so why didn’t others see that? One such image from ‘On Being An Angel,’ shows Woodman in a derelict building, her preferred location to shoot in, with two white sheets behind her as she leaps up in front of them as if flying. It is obvious that the sheet represents her angel wings and the image as whole suggests that Woodman wishes to take flight, to escape perhaps. Another striking feature present in this series is Woodman’s often completely bare chest. She has her breast thrust out, however, this is not by any means sexual. She had previously explored her body in several of her other works and had grown comfortable with it. Woodman wanted to show a certain rawness and maybe even innocence to the images one would find when thinking about angels. As for the idea of flying, Woodman has also previously referenced the theme of weightlessness in some of her other works taking in Rome. It seems perhaps that woodman was toying with the typical idea of angels taking flight while also thinking about how she might like to do the same. The reasoning behind this, some would suggest, comes down to her death. In 1981, Woodman threw herself out of a window in New York. The similarity between her chosen method to end her life and the images of flying is astounding. An article in The Telegraph suggests that Woodman’s images are ‘…coloured by her suicide.’ However, I find myself disagreeing with this to an extent. Is it really plausible that Woodman had been predicting her end since age thirteen? Of course not. She was simply just a girl that was doing what she loved while exploring and learning more about herself and where she fitted in the world. On the other hand, I think that some of her work during the last few years of her life may have had some kind of warning to it. Some of the images Woodman took in Rhode Island between 1975 and 1978 are captioned with almost foreboding messages. For example, one image is captioned, ‘I stopped playing the piano.’ Assuming Woodman stopping playing through lack of interest could suggest the beginning of her depression as the early signs of such mental illness often includes a sudden lack of interest or enjoyment of activities that may have even been a person’s favourite thing to do.
In 1975 while photographing on the set of ‘One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest’, Mary Ellen Mark was given the opportunity to talk with the patients of Oregon State Hospital’s Ward 81. She returned a year later with writer, Karen Folger Jacobs. The pair spent 36 days on the ward. While know for her documentary style projects that have a clear narrative, Mark took a slightly different approach to how she presented her images from the ward. In an interview with American Photographer about her time on Ward 81, Mark said, “Instead of the 1-2-3-4 of a picture story, I was interested in doing pictures that would stand alone.” This is to perhaps represent the isolation of each patient, while also giving them a sense of individuality that they may not get on the ward. Ward 81 consists of a series of images that give an insight into the side of mental illness that people had never seen before in the 1970s. Jacobs wrote ‘At first glance, they could be almost any group of women in any institutional lounge or day room,’ and for the most part that was probably true. The lock ’em mentality of 70’s America was the main reason many of the women of Ward 81 were where they were and once they were institutionalized it was hard to introduce them back into society without seeing them return to the ward not long after. This is perhaps one of the reasons why Mark wanted to spend so much time with the patients while photographing them. She had always thought it vital to build a relationship with the people in her images so she could understand them. The image titled ‘300B-011-005’, perfectly captures the idea behind the project. It shows a girl sat on her bed. At first glance she could be considered a normal teenage girl with clothes that show more skin than her parents would like and posters and pictures above her bed that show the things she likes. That’s what you’re supposed to see first. However, you soon notice the cuts on her arms and the phrase ‘I wish to die,’ written on the wall.
Like Francesca Woodman, I took all my images as self-portraits. This was partly out of convenience, but also to give my images a more personal feel to them. Mental illness is a very individual thing in the sense that everyone experiences it slightly differently. I felt that self- portraits would be a good way to show this. I wanted my images to show a certain ‘madness,’ while also showing the severity of a mental illness such as depression. I want people to see how unpredictable mental illness can make you, which is why the images show a clear darkness, but some also show me having ‘fun.’
Similarly to Woodman, I wanted to show the lack of identity that is often felt by those who suffer from depression, myself included. I remember feeling like I just blended in with everyone else and while people heard me they never really listened. This led to my decision to imitate Woodman by using long exposure times to blur any movements I made whilst in front of the camera. This often gave me a ghostly look that frequently blurred my features, such as my face, resulting in the somewhat removal of my true identity.
Technical:
To capture the images I used a long exposure time of 2 seconds. I set my camera to capture 9 images with 2 seconds between each one.
During editing, I wanted to give my images a ghost-like look. To do this I adjusted to exposure to as high as I could and adjusted the blacks and shadows to make them stand out more and look more harsh. Finally, I made the images black and white. This was again to mimic Woodman’s work, but to also add to the darker tone of the images.
Image One:
Before
After
Context/Concept:
The key feature of this image is the belt wrapped around my wrists. This is to symbolise feeling trapped or imprisoned. More personally it relates to the phrase, ‘my hands are tied.’ This means that a person is unable to act freely due to being restricted by a rule or law. While I was not restricted in this way, I felt that I couldn’t do certain things because my anxiety told me that I couldn’t. I felt that I couldn’t get better because I didn’t know how or felt that I didn’t deserve to. Similarly, I was also exhausted all of time due to lack of sleep which often prevented me from focusing on my school work. This was something that I felt I had no control over.
Visual:
This image is a self portrait in which my face is obscured by my raised hands. This reflects a behaviour often displayed when a person is experiencing an intense emotion. Socially, this behaviour could be to try and cover up the emotion as it can make other people uncomfortable. This is what I wanted to show here. Mental illness is still a somewhat taboo subject and it is undesirable to express the negative emotions that come with it. I remember feeling like I couldn’t talk about it and I had always tried to hind when I’d been upset.
Image Two:
Before
After
Context/Concept:
This image was about escaping. It represents both trying to escape from my negative feelings and making it out the other side the whole thing.
Visual:
In this image I can be seen trying to climb out of a large picture frame. The frame represents a cage that I felt I was trapped in. Overall, the images shows that I am finally escaping that cage. My face is also blurred in this image. Rather than suggesting a lack of identity, this shows a change in identity suggesting that came out the other side as a different person.
